Caprica DVD Review

Take a trip back to the colonies and watch the fall.

The opening moments of Caprica -- and indeed, the entire 90-minute pilot – may just surprise long-time Battlestar fans who've become used to the claustrophobic tension and dramatic action of the legendary sci-fi series. Rather, Caprica is much more of a drama, a character study of two men, and while the show is certainly filled with its fair share of atmosphere and mystery, much of that is left to be played out in further episodes. This fascinating opening salvo chooses, instead, to focus squarely on its two main characters and the establishment of a world not so dissimilar to our own: Caprica.

It's a half-century before the fall of man, before William Adama, son of Joseph Adama, will take command of Gallactica and lead his people to Earth, pursued along the way by the treacherous Cylons. Yet, until the closing moments of this cinematic pilot, the Cylons have yet to exist. Open on a virtual world, a raging nightclub filled with group sex, murder and ritual sacrifice. Zoe Graystone and her fellow teenage friends move through this 3D online space – which had, years earlier, been invented by her father Daniel – toward a room which holds a magnificent secret: a virtual copy of Zoe's consciousness, constructed by the genius' equally genius daughter. But it's a parting encounter, as Zoe says goodbye to her creation and boards a real-world train, hoping to run away, off-planet, to a far-away colony and away from the stresses of being a Graystone. Also on the train are the wife and daughter of Joseph Adama, a prominent and slightly corrupt attorney, who never gets to say farewell before the train explodes, the target of a religious bombing.

The deaths push both men into the same, small sphere and a chance meeting quickly leads to a tenuous friendship. Daniel plummets into his work, attempting to complete a military contract for the government – an autonomous cybernetic soldier, codenamed, of course, as "Cylon." Joseph, on the other hand, is forced to rethink his mob ties as he bonds more closely with his son, young William Adama, but the criminal underworld rarely lets go so easily. But when Daniel discovers Zoe's doppelganger in the online world, his obsession is realized, and his efforts to draw out the copy into a cybernetic shell gives birth to what we all know will eventually result in the creation of the human-looking Cylons.

To say any more would be to venture too far into spoiler territory, but Caprica ultimately, and rightfully, feels less like a "prequel" than its own, connected narrative. By virtue of its setting, it's more grounded, more open, setting up a series driven more by character and intrigue than space-opera adventure. Esai Morales and Eric Stoltz both nail their respective roles, bringing just the right amount of obsession and sympathy, and it's difficult not to think, perhaps somewhat, of Graystone as a more fully-realized version of William Hurt's character from Kubrick's A.I., looking to bring back his loved ones by any means necessary, and at any cost. With such moral implications injected into this friendship forged through tragedy – rooted in a world where politics and religion collide – how can there not be enough to fuel another five-year epic from the great Ron Moore.

Overall, the world of Caprica feels fresh enough to be new and similar enough to be inviting. It's smart and daring without winking at the BSG fans at every turn, and it carefully distinguishes itself as both a part of and apart from that very series. Dynamic and dramatic, Caprica no doubt has the potential for television greatness when it finally goes to series in the not-so-near future.

Score: 8 out of 10

Video and Presentation

The look of Caprica is much cleaner and more polished than that of the aging fleet soaring across the universe of Battlestar. Imagine a world much like our might seem in twenty or thirty years, neither dystopian nor high science-fiction, but a functioning, technology-driven society operated much the same as ours now. There's greater use of CG in small, more practical ways throughout the pilot and they're not always seamless. That said, the transfer is solid, demonstrating few, if any, noticeable problems, and the production design does wonders for making Caprica feel distinct from its forebears, lending it a sense of individual personality and tone.

Score: 8 out of 10

Languages and Audio

There's certainly not as much action in Caprica as in an average episode of Battlestar, so the sound mix leans more heavily toward conveying the film's many dialogue sequences. That said, there are a number of moments – such as in the virtual nightclub or the Cylon testing facility – where the Dolby 5.1 surround-sound gets to flex its muscles to good effect. The train explosion ratchets up the volume and bass, but for the most part, the sound mix simply allows its characters to speak and provides the sense of a living, breathing city operating all around them.

Score: 7 out of 10

Packaging and Extras

The Caprica DVD offers up a small, but worthwhile set of extras, including:

The commentary is sure to please the Battlestar elite who are looking for a rich, new experience as Reiner, Moore and Eick dissect the premise of the show, illustrating their intentions for creating the series and drawing distinct lines between the two shows. Clearly, the idea here is to portray a society much like our own on the verge of its collapse, sowing the seeds for what will be its own eventual destruction in such a way that will force viewers to find some parallel with our own society and experience. This is reflected heavily in the first of the video blogs, "What the Frak is Caprica?" The rest of the v-logs present quick, three-minute glimpses behind the scenes of the production, ranging from the direction, to the production design, to the creation of the early Cylon models. Lastly, there are about eight minutes of deleted scenes here, one of which offers a fairly revealing plot-point that viewers can hope will be addressed once the show officially kicks off.

Score: 7 out of 10

The Bottom Line

Overall, a well-made and gripping pilot episode on a strong, yet feature-light, DVD.